The Monkees Hot Line
on The Mop Tops and the King radio show
How they started, should they be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the tour with Jimi Hendrix, taking control of their own destiny – The Monkees Hot Line.
Author of Rock’n’Roll Unravelled, Derek Shelmerdine in conversation with Steve Chelmsford, on The Mop Tops & The King Hot Line. A look at, how they started, should they be in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame, the tour with Jimi Hendrix and taking control of their own destiny.
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The Monkees Hot Line
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Author of Rock’n’Roll Unravelled, Derek Shelmerdine‘s
guest segment, The Monkees Hot Line
on The Mop Tops & The King radio show.
First broadcast during the week: 7 to 13 July 2023.
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The Monkees Hot Line
HOW THEY STARTED
On 8 September 1965 a casting ad appeared in Hollywood Reporter and other trade papers, Inviting hopefuls to try out for the parts of “4 insane boys”.
The ads were looking for “Folk & Roll Musicians-Singers for acting roles in a new TV series. Running parts for 4 insane boys, aged 17-21. Want spirited Ben Frank’s-types. Have courage to work”.
The TV show was America’s answer to the Beatles phenomenon. It was inspired by the Beatles’ movie A Hard Day’s Night.
Amongst those who failed to make the grade that day were: Van Dyke Parks future Beach Boys collaborator, Danny Hutton future Three Dog Night singer, Harry Nilsson Lennon collaborator and singer songwriter and Steven Stills, he failed the audition but recommenced his friend Peter Tork.
Contrary to the persisting urban myth, Charles Manson did not audition that day.
NBC broadcasted the first Monkees TV show, Royal Flush, on 12 September 1966. In this first outing, the manufactured pop group saved the day for The Princess Bettina, Duchy of Harmonica.
The first hit single Last Train to Clarksville, hit the Billboard Top-40 on 24 September 1966 and gave them a #1. The first hit album, The Monkees, followed a couple of weeks later.
SHOULD THEY BE IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME?
Peter Tork is quoted as saying, “The only person … holding a grudge is Jann Werner of Rolling Stone”. Werner denounced the Monkees for not playing their instruments on the first albums. He was a co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine and himself inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2004, with a “Lifetime achievement award in the nonperformer category”.
American Goldmine magazine believes The Monkees should be in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The biggest bone of contention is the fact that they did not play their instruments on the first two albums. What annoyed many of their fans was the performing credit, particularly on the back cover of the first album.
On the other hand, in 1967 the Monkees sold more albums than the Beatles and Rolling Stones added together.
THE TOUR WITH JIMI HENDRIX
The First Monterey International Pop Festival took place at the 7,500 seat, out-door arena at Monterey County Fairgrounds in California on 16 to 18 June 1967. Alan Pariser, Lou Adler and The Mamas and The Papas’ John Phillips organised it as a non-profit event.
The Who and Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on the third day. Famously both refused to follow the other on stage. However, the toss of a coin put the Who on first. This festival opened up American careers for both bands.
In a feedback laden version of Wild Thing, Jimi Hendrix set fire to his guitar, smashed it into the stage until it snapped and threw the neck into the audience.
Monkees Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork were in the audience and were very impressed with Jimi’s performance. So much so that they invited the Jimi Hendrix Experiece to open for them on their upcoming American tour.
The tour opened on 8 July at Florida’s Jacksonville Coliseum. Audiences for the two acts couldn’t have been more different. The typical Monkees fan was a young teenage girl, hardly likely to be a Hendrix fan.
Jimi Hendrix Experience left the tour
The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s performances were greeted with chants of “We want the Monkees”. They tired of this constant reception from Monkees fans and for Jimi and the lads the tour came to a premature end at the Forest Hills Stadium, New York on 16 July.
Legend has it that the conservative Daughters of the American Revolution put pressure on the promoter to tone down Hendrix’s stage act. This urban myth came about because of an article by Australian journalist Lillian Roxon who was accompanying the tour. This tongue-in-cheek piece was written to explain Jimi Hendrix’s sudden departure from the tour.
In reality, Hendrix had simply had enough of the “We want the Monkees” chants and quit the tour. Although, he remained on friendly terms with Monkees.
TAKING CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY
The Monkees took artistic control of their output with the song A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You, recorded at RCA’s Studio B in New York City, on 21 January 1967.
Since the inception of The Monkees TV show, Don Kirshner was responsible for the musical content and the record releases on the Colgems record label.
The band members, particularly Mike Nesmith, were increasingly frustrated with not being allowed to play their own instruments. They were also unhappy at not having their own compositions considered for future releases.
Their recent live tour gave them a boost in confidence. This, coupled with the increased popularity of their TV show, gave the Monkees clout with producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider.
Don Kirshner was determined to keep control of the Monkees’ musical output. To this end, he issued the Neil Diamond penned A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You coupled with another Brill Building B-side She Hangs Out, written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.
Very unhappy at this turn of events the Monkees took their grievances to the producers, who backed them against Kirshner. The single was withdrawn, having only been released in Canada. Michael Nesmith’s The Girl I Knew Somewhere, replaced the offending B-side.
Rock’n’Roll Unravelled – the Book
Written by Derek Shelmerdine, Rock’n’Roll Unravelled tells the story of rock’n’roll from its roots to 1970s punk. Not just the music but also the influences such as the Vietnam War and Civil Rights struggle.
Rock’n’Roll Unravelled‘s unique three-part structure
Timeline – On This Day – Pocket Histories
brings the music and times of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s vividly to life.
